Sony unveils 20MP translucent mirror DSLT

New entry-level camera promises a lot of tech for the price

Sony's new Alpha a58 features a newly designed 20.1 million pixel Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor and is the latest camera to feature Sony's unique translucent mirror technology.

The new sensor is teamed with an improved Bionz image processing engine, which the company says means the camera can produce very detailed, low-noise still images, along with Full HD video and an increased ISO capability of ISO 100-16000.

Unlike conventional DSLRs, Sony's Alpha range of DSLTs use translucent mirror technology. There are several benefits to this, but one thing usually considered a drawback is that cameras like this have to use an electronic, rather than an optical, viewfinder.

However, Sony has improved the EVF on this camera, which now features a high-resolution OLED Tru-Finder. This means that settings changes can be viewed in real-time via the viewfinder, and also means that fast burst-shooting is also possible.

Quick shooter

The Sony Alpha a58 is capable of shooting at up to 8fps in Tele-zooom continuous advance priority AE mode. The 15-point autofocus system also now includes Lock-on Autofocus for speedier, more accurate subject tracking.

Auto Portrait Framing was included on previous models, and this has now been upgraded to cover Auto Object Framing for more versatility. As the name suggests, the camera is capable of assessing the best composition for objects, as well as faces.

Sony's Pixel Super Resolution Technology is also included to keep the same resolution as the original image after a crop has been made for a better composition.

The Sony Alpha a58 price will be around £450 (around US$694/AU$670) with the new 18-55mm bundled kit lens, or £600 (around US$926/AU$894) for a twin lens kit, which also includes a 55-200mm optic. Sony expects the camera to be available on the market in April.